Judge rules in Apple's favor in New York iPhone unlock case

A New York judge has ruled in Apple's favor in an ongoing case through which the government was seeking to force the Cupertino company to unlock an iPhone by leveraging the All Writs Act. The case is separate from the current ongoing battle between the FBI and Apple over whether the government can compel Apple to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. However, it's an important win for Apple as the fate of the San Bernardino case remains uncertain.

From the ruling:

For the reasons set forth below, I conclude that under the circumstances of this case, the government has failed to establish either that the AWA permits the relief it seeks or that, even if such an order is authorized, the discretionary factors I must consider weigh in favor of granting the motion. More specifically, the established rules for interpreting a statute's text constrain me to reject the government's interpretation that the AWA empowers a court to grant any relief not outright prohibited by law.

The case is similar in nature to the higher-profile San Bernardino case, especially concerning the government's use of the All Writs Act as the basis for compelling Apple to help it access data on the phones. While the California judge presiding over the San Bernardino case could rule differently, the New York case gives the company firmer ground to stand on going forward.

With a warrant can the police walk in your locked house and search through everything you own there? How does the constitution protect our cell phones but not our homes? Just wondering. This isn't about you and me. It's about the governments ability to force Apples hand.

Actually yes with a warrant police can walk into your locked house to search for very specific evidence related to the reason they asked a judge to grant them the "search warrant". In the case of the terrorist cell phone the government wants to go fishing on the phone. They are not sure if there is any evidence on it. In fact it seems to be s hens picked hot button case to force Apple.

The 5th amendment is what is at issue. Per the constitution you cannot be forced to give incriminating evidence against yourself. One judge has started that you can be forced to give a key to your safe with evidence held inside but you couldn't be forced to tell the combination to the same safe. The police can use your fingerprint to open your phone but can't force you to tell them the code. Some judges see things different. That's why this case is likely headed to the Supreme Court for final resolution.

Nope. Too general. For most of the world since 1776, the USA is usually not the good guys. This decision is one for progressive values and anti-fascist, anti-oligarchy, anti-plutocracy folks concerned about human rights and democracy etc.

But but but the FBI said that they were only seeking to force Apple in the San Bernardino case, and they'd never do it again. They even pinky swore!

...says the idiots who said this was only a one-time request and no big deal. Of course, the endgame is that the FBI will pepper Apple with these demands until it either builds a backdoor into iOS or hands the FBI a set of tools to get into any phone they want any time they want.

The part I don't get, and the part I don't understand why it isn't mentioned more throughout this case, is that the government can already get courts to grant access to phone records, text messages, and GPS location information through the phone provider. (I can attest to this as I had a court case recently that required these exact records). So what else do they need exactly? To browse people's photos? Their FB app? iCloud backups? I don't like the idea of the government having a free pass without so much as a warrant to wade through anything and everything on people's phones, regardless of its pertinence to the case they are working. I think the system already in place, that, with a warrant, can produce phone records, texts, and GPS data should be pretty helpful. Past that information, I don't see how access to someone's personal data is required by the laws currently in place.

Well that's providing that you use your phone provider's services. You can avoid that by using iMessage or Whatsapp and doing phone calls by using FaceTime audio or WhatsApp calling. As for the GPS location, I assume they get that through the assisted GPS, which you can turn off, then none of that information is accessible.

my take on the Apple versus government sort of case is that Apple has every right to do what they need to do to protect us iPhone users while on Android for the time being but until I switch over to T Mobile of course my opinion still stands I mean of course that's just my opinion another source of the government trying to control what they think is theirs because majority of the Pentagon even uses apple or because is great technology made them feel like they need to do what they said no I also agree and see how this could probably help other attacks that could be on US soil but what's really going to be going on is a while while they are busy searching and do an investigation if for some reason they gain protocol from Apple allowing them to bring to such and such as PHONE thousands millions or billions of people security will be compromised. #StandWithApple